Home
Introduction: Bicycle Design
Why Upright Bikes?
Why Recumbents Cost More
Types of Recumbents
Seat Height
Handlebars
How Much To Spend?
The Importance of Wheels
Types of Wheels
The Importance of Weight
Frame Materials
Frame Alignment
Parts, Derailleurs etc
Brakes
Suspension
Are Recumbents Invisible?
Acclimatizing to a Recumbent
Hills on a Recumbent
Clip-On Pedals
Racks & Mudguards
Bicycle Trailers
Trikes
How to Ride a Tandem
Credit Card Touring
Information Sources
Vancouver, British Columbia
Contact TALU

Why Recumbents Cost More Than Upright Bicycles

The recumbent bicycle is more aerodynamically efficient and it is ergonomically superior to the upright bicycle. A recumbent bicycle is a lounge chair with wheels. Recumbent bicycles have a seat with a back-support and a longer drive chain. The longer chain adds a little to the initial cost of a recumbent (however, recumbent drivetrains last longer than the drivetrains on upright bicycles) and the seat adds about $250 to the cost of recumbent bicycle. Upright bicycles are supplied with a seat that costs about $5.

The seat on a recumbent bicycle accounts for most of the price difference between a recumbent bicycle and an upright bicycle of similar quality. The recumbent seat may also add 2-4 pounds of net weight. On the other hand, the seating position on a recumbent lowers the coefficient of drag and allows the recumbent cyclist to ride all day in much greater comfort than that afforded to the upright bicycle rider.

On some recumbent bicycles the weight of the seat can be compensated for in frame design and the integration of seat supports as structural frame members. The weight of some recumbent bicycle designs can be as low as the lightest upright bicycles. On the other hand, extraordinarily light bicycles, whether they are recumbent or upright, are not generally very practical or durable. As explained elsewhere on this site, (see The Importance of Weight ) small weight savings on non-rotating parts of a bicycle make little difference to performance anyway.